This morning I dumped my kids back off at school. You'd think I'd be doing cartwheels naked in a field of poppies.

I'm not.

I know that next week I will be singing a very different tune indeed, but I kinda like having them home. Not in the 'I could homeschool them way', because seriously? That is a special breed of person, and I am not of that breed. My kids don't listen when I tell them how to brush their teeth let alone when I help them with multiplication.

Anyway, I have rules about school-days. Horrible rules. Bad, evil, naughty mommy rules. NO TV on school days rules. No computer on school days, and no Wii on school days. Yes, I am that mean.

After our little tour of North America last year, living with any number of people who do not share my penchant for child-torture, that rule has flown straight out the window. Having a tv the size of Detroit does not help. Today, this very morning, that rule went back into action. There is no tv from Sunday night until Friday night.

That's not exactly true. I have softened a bit in my old age. They are each getting 30 minutes of the media of their choosing every day after homework and chores. They are really nervous about this.

This morning we all got up on time, thanks to a lovely little pill momma had to pop to get her to sleep before 3 am. Momma's having some insomnia issues these days. We all got up on time, 1of3 got himself in the shower before 7:15, and there were eggs scrambled and danishes sliced and jeans thrown in the dryer to warm them up. There was also the discovery of ravioli lunch left in the back-up lunch box 2 weeks ago, and let me tell you, that'll wake you up better than a gallon of coffee.

This morning? Gorgeous. No YuGiOh yelling at us, no kids zombied out. No whimpering, no running late, no nothing. And then 3of3 turned the tv on, and it all came to a crashing halt. Already they are so deprived of essential daily stimulation that they were instantly transfixed by the freaking Magic School Bus.

Ugh.

And now they are back in the saddle again, and the PTA crap will ensue, and so will hockey lessons and gymnastics class and tennis (I hope) and Cub Scouts and Destination Imagination and science projects and track and oh my god I am already exhausted and it hasn't even started yet.